Week Fifty-One
Merry Christmas, Friends! I hope you are having a lovely Christmas with family and friends. The stomach bug is all over Birmingham, and unfortunately, it has made an appearance in our home. The good news is that it only lasts for about 24-48 hours. I have been busy disinfecting everything in the house!
We have two lessons this week, and the first one is entitled "Crazy, Beautiful Life." I enjoyed this lesson because it was filled with examples of those living life to the fullest. There were two Bible verses in this lesson, and I think that the John 10:10 verse is one we should keep in our hearts at all times:
The other verse is from Ecclesiastes:
He has set eternity in the human heart.
~Ecclesiastes 3:11
I love the section about A Collector of Hearts. This might seem silly, but I play this game with God. He sends me hearts to remind me how much he loves me. I see them all the time, whether in bubble clusters, or in an iron pan drying on the stovetop, or examples in nature, like leaves or puddles. Try looking for them. Ask God to send you hearts, and he will do it!
The second lesson is entitled "Never Postpone Joy." Farrell reminds us of how two men (Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama) found and lived with joy during exile and imprisonment. My favorite quote from this lesson is:
Every day is a new opportunity to begin again!~the Dalai Lama
I think that's a great way to view life. Every morning brings the chance for a do-over!
I did not bake the love muffins because most folks around here are drinking plain tea and eating saltine crackers. But I will bake them soon.
I don't know if y'all noticed, but after this last lesson there a few more recipes and lists of Farrell's favorites from books to music to podcasts. I want to check out her favorite cookbooks!
I hope y'all enjoyed this book. I did! Next Friday we will begin Peace With the Psalms, and the first Psalm we will be reading is the 23rd Psalm!
Do you have any thoughts about the lessons?
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for Rita as she mourns the loss of her sister. First Christmases without loved ones can be especially difficult.
- Please pray for Kitty’s son, Mike, who is excited about working on his own idea. Pray for Kitty that she can be supportive and encouraging to him as he shares his ideas and developments with her. He is such a good guy and needs something wonderful to happen in his life.
- Praise for Rita's daughter Megan for finishing her semester of the FNP program successfully! Just one more semester after a Christmas break! Let's keep up the prayers and get her over the finish line next semester.
- Pray for my best friend Barbara who is battling cancer.
- Carla's prayer request is for all the young people entering the military, the love they feel for the USA to become warriors to fight to keep us free. Let's especially lift up our National Guard as they are deployed both here at home and abroad.
- Pray for my mother. She is declining rapidly.
- Please pray for Kris's MIL because she has been having some heavy health issues, and Kris is currently her full time nurse. Pray that God will help and bless Kris as she cares for her MIL. Pray that other family members will step-up and will be discerning about what's best for her care.
- Kitty's younger brother is having health issues. Please lift him up in prayer.
- Pray for Kris's husband Terry. He is home from the hospital, but is still having difficulty eating. UPDATE: Terry had surgery Friday night (Dec. 26th). He did very well, and Kris is hoping he will be discharged today (Sat. Dec. 26th). Let's pray for a speedy recovery for Terry!
- Rita's HS Friend Pam needs us to start banking-up prayers now. Her oncology and reconstructive team of two surgeons will perform an estimated 12 hr surgery Jan 5 to remove at least half of her tongue (tongue cancer) and, minimally, lymph nodes on her right side of her neck. She will have skin grafts taken from her forearm and thigh to reconstruct. She's expected to be in the hospital a minimum of 10 days. It's a long road ahead for her.
- Please pray for travel mercies for Shanley Belle and Christopher as they drive home to Michigan tomorrow.
- Travel mercies for Carla and her family as they travel to rural Wisconsin. They will be traveling 12/24 through 12/28. (Internet is sketchy where they're going FYI.)
We had planned on going out for sips and trinkets this afternoon. I hope everyone feels like it!
Until next time...
Merry Christmas!
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends, and Hello, August!
It is sooooo hot here in Central Alabama. I know it's expected because it's summer in the Deep South, however, I really need it to cool down just a wee bit. After the weeks of rain, it immediately became so hot that I can't garden right now. It will have to wait!
I was happy to go to art class twice this week (one was a make-up) so overall it's been a fantastic week for me.
What about you? What did you do this week?
Week Fifty-One's Lesson is entitled "re-membering grace." Guys, this was a tough one for me to read. I remember mouth sores and being thankful for "miracle mouthwash." I also remember being so, so close to God when I was going through treatment. Sometimes it scares me because I miss the stillness, and I miss the closeness during that time. I need to be more disciplined to make time to "be still and know."
In Psalm 50:14 God’s people are told to “offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving.” We are to give thanks even in the toughest of times! Ann does this very well, I think. It seems to be a habit of hers, one I hope to continue to develop.
What are your thoughts about the lesson?
“Sacrifice thank offerings to God,fulfill your vows to the Most High."~Psalm 50:14
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job. AI has taken away many jobs in his industry. Mike might have the opportunity to redo a game with a friends. Let's pray that this works out for him, and it will lead to more opportunities.
- Rita is asking for prayers for a sister of hers who lives alone, geographically far from family. She is in a crisis with her children turning their backs on her in a time of most need. Rita and her siblings are having to find a way to navigate through the messiness of it all and determine how they can help her. She is not in great health either. Please pray that God will share his wisdom with them as how to help the situation.
- Kris and her husband Terry found and purchased a darling new townhome close to family and friends. She and Terry will be updating it in the coming months. However, they need to sell their condo where they currently live. Let's pray that God will send the perfect buyer quickly! Also pray that their move will go as smoothly as possible!
- Please pray for our military and military families.
- Pray for Christian leadership in our country. Also pray that God will turn our hearts to him, and he will lavishly bless us with his steadfast love.
Have a great weekend.
Stay cool!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday, Friends! How was your weekend? What did you do? Ours was a wash-out....literally. It rained so much that many Birmingham suburbs flooded. I feel so badly for the people whose homes flooded. We live on a mountain, so we were fine. However, the rain kept us indoors, but we did get a lot of work done.
This week's lesson is entitled "re-membering grace." This week's scripture is below.
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Kitty's son Mike to get a job. AI has taken away many jobs in his industry. Mike might have the opportunity to redo a game with a friends. Let's pray that this works out for him, and it will lead to more opportunities.
- Rita is asking for prayers for a sister of hers who lives alone, geographically far from family. She is in a crisis with her children turning their backs on her in a time of most need. Rita and her siblings are having to find a way to navigate through the messiness of it all and determine how they can help her. She is not in great health either. Please pray that God will share his wisdom with them as how to help the situation.
- Kris and her husband Terry found and purchased a darling new townhome close to family and friends. She and Terry will be updating it in the coming months. However, they need to sell their condo where they currently live. Let's pray that God will send the perfect buyer quickly!
- Please pray for our military and military families.
- Pray for Christian leadership in our country. Also pray that God will turn our hearts to him, and he will lavishly bless us with his steadfast love.
I hope you have a great week. I'm getting off the computer, making a cappuccino, and planning my week. After that, Ill rad this week's lesson.
Hopefully I'll be able to get some gardening in this week!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends!
We were able to sleep in a little this morning and garden before the afternoon heat. It was nice, and we accomplished quite a bit.
I enjoyed this week's reflection because it is about one of my favorite scenes in the Bible, when the hemorrhaging woman reaches out in faith to touch Jesus, and he literally feels his power go to her.
[Jesus] said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”Mark 5:34
Jesus called her daughter! This reflection is also touching as Maggie shares a story about foster children with us. God intends for us to live in a supportive community of believers.
Here are a few other scriptures from today's lesson:
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Sam and the 157th.
- Pray for our country!
- Pray that Kitty's DIL will decide to participate in family activities.
- Pray for rain in Carla's area. They've been suffering a drought.
If I missed any, please let me know. It has been a very busy and trying week for me. Thank-you!
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Good morning, Friends! How was your weekend? We organized Mr. Happy's closet almost all day Saturday. It looks so good, and he's very pleased.
If he messes it up again....let's not go there, haha!
This week's reflection is a little heavy because it's about suffering.
Here's a preview:
I'd also like to remind you that this is our next to last week in This Life We Share. We will start our new devotional on July 31st:
Have you ordered your copy yet?
Prayer Requests
- Today we have a couple of praises about how well Kris's daughter's pregnancy is going, and also Rita's BIL is recovering so well.
- Pray for Sam and the 157th.
- Pray for our country!
- Pray that Kitty's DIL will decide to participate in family activities.
- Say a special prayer for Mr. Happy because it's his birthday today!
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Friday, Friends! How has your week been so far? Do you have any special plans for the weekend?
This week's lesson and guided journaling was a tough one for me because it was very convicting. Here's the writing prompt:
Write about someone in your life who is difficult to love. What has been your strategy for loving this person? Have you tried to force it? Are you depending on God's love? Have you given up?
Well, my answers are pitiful: I haven't had one, yes, no, and yes. But I'm trying to depend on God's love as a template for me, and I'm also trying to have more patience. This is my plan moving forward.
What about you?
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Prayer requests? I know that there are many needs right now, so please post any requests and updates in comments.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
Happy Monday! How was your weekend? We had two family birthdays, and my mom's birthday is tomorrow.
This week we'll learn about the best strategy for "loving one another." It should be a wonderful lesson!
Reminder: We only have one more week after this one in this guided journaling book. Rita has recommended This Life We Share for our next one. Discussion? We need to make a decision by Friday so we can order the book. Also, please post any prayer requests.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
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